Burbank fire chief to retire by end of the year

Burbank Fire Chief Ray Krakowski will be retiring this month after 32 years with the department, officials said Monday.

His last day with the city will be Dec. 28.

“I understand he has been of great value to the community and he will truly be missed,” said Ken Pulskamp on his first day of the job Monday as interim city manager.

Krakowski had been serving as acting city manager for the last five weeks in between former City Manager Mike Flad’s departure and Pulskamp’s arrival.

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“That’s indicative of what the city thinks of Chief Krakowski -- when there was a need for an interim, they tapped him on the shoulder,” Pulskamp said. “They all have a tremendous amount of respect for the chief.”

Krakowski could not immediately be reached for comment.

Pulskamp said he’d be selecting Krakowski’s successor in the coming weeks “to ensure there is a smooth transition."